The History of the 9th Overall NFL Draft Picks

It's hard to have better results than that at pick number nine in the NFL draft.

Is it the luckiest spot in the draft?

Well, just outside of desperation zone of the top five lies a slot that has produced some of the most feared legends ever to put on pads.

But it's not just about defense.

Number nine is where you find the goat of offensive linemen, John Hanna, the Ironman, and Bruce Matthews, a legend in his own right.

And when you pick at nine, you aren't just drafting a starter, you're drafting a Hall of Famer.

Most possibly in this episode, we're counting down the Greatest number at 9 ever in NFL draft history, along with some of the busts and maybe even some that you might want to redraft.

But we have our guest, Ed Cleese joining us once again.

Welcome to the Pig Pen.

You're on pigskin dispatch's 32 day drive of all the NFL first round slots.

Ed Cleese is joining me once again.

We are at pick number nine talking about the legends of the first 90 drafts that have been drafted in the selection.

Ed, welcome back to the Pig Pen.

Hey, Darren, how are you today?

I am doing super.

You know, we are little more than.

A week away from the draft now and we got some great players.

We're in the top 10, baby.

And it's the home stretch.

Here we go.

Yeah, that's for sure.

So what, what's your overall overview of the number nine pick in history?

Sure.

Like we've been talking about recently, we saw a change at the 13th pick and it's kind of been consistent since then.

The ninth pick is also pretty strong.

I actually don't think it's quite as strong as the last couple we've done.

But it's, it's good.

I mean, it's good.

There's some, there's some, there's some good names here, Some, some historic names here recently.

They're, you know, too early to tell, but like Roma Dunes A, Jalen Carter, ed Oliver, Mike McGlinchey.

These are all like important players on their teams right now.

Pat Certain is the one that's really on his way.

He's the one guy that's been taken in like the last dozen years that looks like someday we'll be talking about him in top five conversation.

He's, he's He's a phenomenal player.

He's great.

There was one big bust taken somewhat recently.

Receiver.

He was not in the league last year, so I think his career is probably over.

Only caught 63 passes in those six years.

So that's a recent bust.

And if we're going to kind of stay negative for a while, there's been a number of other busts, including Darren.

What might be when we.

The definition of the word bust in every possible way.

But first, we'll start with some others.

He only had 13 career starts in the defensive backfield.

That's very disappointing, of course.

Touchdown.

Touchdown.

Tommy in the NFL, not so much.

He only scored 18 touchdowns in eight years in the NFL.

Only had one year over 400 yards rushing.

Sometimes being big and burly just isn't enough.

You got to have some.

Some scoot to you.

And I don't think Tommy had much scooter.

He had two by the dolphins.

He had two so.

So seasons and then he was done.

He was an offensive guard.

He only made 27 starts in five years.

And to me, that position, like interior offensive line man, if you're going to roll the dice and take an interior offensive lineman in the top 10, 10 of the draft, he better be like legendary.

Good, because even if he's just good, that's probably not good enough to take a guard that high.

So you need to be great.

And he was not.

So that's a real bust pick.

But nothing compares to the guy that was taken the year before him.

This is probably a guy you don't remember because, I don't know, a lot of people would.

And I think people in Philadelphia have done everything they can do to forget.

And for this, Darren, I actually just have to read a little something verbatim to you.

Okay.

His name was Kevin, Kevin Allen.

I believe he was from Indiana.

Don't quote me on that.

I forgot to write it down.

And if he is, if he's not, then I very much apologize to all the Indiana fans out there because this is almost like slander, what I'm about to read.

So it says his career started against the New York Giants, a game where the Giants recorded eight sacks by mid season, Allen was relegated to special teams.

During the off season, Allen moved to the center position.

Eagles coach Buddy Ryan's thought so little of Allen that he once described him as someone who could be useful.

If you want someone to stand around and kill the grass, he looks like a USFL reject.

He would lean his body forward, then fall down and never had the Eagles had a combination of bad person, bad player that could match this guy.

When Buddy Ryan was asked in an interview about him missing practice due to being treated at a local hospital for dehydration, he said, you mean the General?

When asked about Allen's whereabouts, he said, you know we call him the General, don't you?

For General Hospital.

But it gets better.

Darren he only appeared for four games in his rookie year.

He tried to make a comeback but never did.

Never made a team.

So he appeared in four games in.

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All right, well, let's bring us some, some better news of football, the more positive side of some of the legends that are here and maybe your honorable mention, your top five.

Yes honorable mentions.

That was a really good one.

Fred Taylor, you know he was real close to being in my top five.

He was always steady.

He's really high on some of those all time lists.

Higher than you'd think.

Only made one Pro Bowl.

That was kind of interesting.

Lincoln Kennedy was an offensive tackle in 93.

That one sticks out to me, the Richmond Webb Darren, because he's really the only good draft pick the Dolphins made in the first round other than Marino in like a 15 year span.

And so one of the reasons they couldn't build around Marino is because they failed so miserably in the draft and that is one they got right.

And it's probably the best player Marino ever played with at least through the prime of his career was Rich Ramon.

He was a tough cut.

And Gerald Riggs was a running back.

Taken in the 80s.

He had 11.

You know, he had a really couple nice years with the Falcons.

He wound up with the Redskins.

Had a couple good years in 91.

He was like the third running back for the Redskins on the super bowl team.

But he scored 11 touchdowns that year and then he scored six in the playoffs.

So he had like 220 yards rushing that season or something.

But he had like 17 touchdowns.

So a good, a good gig for him.

He was back to back first team all pro Darren the seasons before.

He was killed in the off season in a car wreck.

He was unbelievable player.

He's, he was on his way on this list for sure.

Yeah, tragic, tragic when that happened for sure.

Sad day for sure.

Yep.

All right, well who do you have in your top five?

Top five?

This one was a, this was weird to me because I remembered him and then I was like, I almost didn't look him up because I couldn't remember him being that remarkable.

I was like, wait, I missed on this guy.

He's on the all.

So he was a Viking.

I, I wonder if he just suffered from being on a bunch of average teams because they had, they had him.

They had.

He was a bookend.

They had another guy that was like the same size and very productive.

And I forget.

Yeah, I can't remember.

I can't remember.

And for some reason they were run.

Stop me.

You couldn't run up the middle when those guys were in.

Yeah, I just can't remember.

I don't know why I had.

I needed the reminder with him, you know, but, but, but it was clear to me that he was very deserving of this list.

Yeah, yeah, most definitely.

He was a big guy and a big time player.

Kevin Williams, that's also kind of a boring name, so maybe that's why.

Yeah, he needed a little bit of a nickname.

His teammates should have gave him something, you know.

Right, right.

All right.

Who do you have?

Number four.

Number four.

He was out of the league last year, so I'm kind of assuming that his career is over.

Seven straight Pro Bowls, two first team all pros.

And then the reason I've got him as high as I do is when you're excellent at a premium position.

So he's the left tackle.

He's one of the best in the league for really a decade.

You know, essentially you're playing a top position.

You're going against everybody's great edge rusher.

You're more than holding your own.

They opened up all kinds of space for, for Zeke and, and allowed Dak to have those big, big passing years.

So they had some.

We talked about Travis Frederick, we talked about Zach Martin, and now we're talking about Tyron Smith.

All taken like in a, in a secession by the Cowboys.

Talk about home runs on the offensive line and how important that is and what it can do for your team.

Yeah, down in Jerry world, they know how to pick their offensive lineman.

They always seem to have a really good offensive lineman and end up making the Pro Bowls all Pros and Canton.

So.

Yeah, good Good selection.

Yep.

And so we're going on to three.

And I had two, and three were like almost identical, and I just didn't know how to rank them.

And then I just kind of flip the coin.

But I always want to have a reason, so I got a reason.

I'm just going to go ahead and say it.

So both of these guys were middle linebackers.

Both are massively affecting the games.

Both have a goal jacket.

Both are totally deserving.

I'd say when you put them side by side, Urlocker wins the counting stats, like the volume stats, because he played longer.

He did play five more years because Keecley's career came to a screeching halt.

As we know, they both had one defensive player of the year.

There was more all pros for Kechley, but ultimately I just said, you know what?

Just me watching these two guys, I always felt that Keecley was maybe just a tad more impactful.

And that's sort of a gut thing, just an observation, whatever.

But I remember watching Keakley, and so fast, so fast.

Sideline.

Not that Earlocker was slow.

He certainly was not.

But, you know, I just kind of flip a coin.

You can probably reverse them, whatever.

But I've got Keakley just a tad ahead.

Yeah, I think you're.

You're.

They're neck and neck.

You know, it'd be a photo finish if they were in a horse race between those two.

But I think I'd almost give her lacquer the advantage because he's a little bit more old school and he just had the look of.

I mean, you don't want to meet up with him in a dark alley.

You know, the bald head and, you know, kind of menacing looking.

Not that.

Not that Keakley's not, but.

Yeah, I don't know, I'd probably take maybe Erlacher.

I think he may be a little bit bigger impact for his team.

Yeah, well, that's fair.

Like I said, it could go.

It could flip a coin either way.

But you're not going wrong if you're taking Erlacher or Keakley with the number nine.

Yeah, yeah, I'd take either one at number nine, that's for sure.

All right, so who did you end up having, a number one?

It was easy.

It was easy.

Number one for me.

Darren, that is arguably the greatest interior offensive lineman of all time in the history of the NFL.

And just this is almost shocking.

So he played 19 years in the NFL.

He.

So 18 out of 19 years, he played all of them.

He made the Pro bowl in age.

At age 40 in Tennessee because he was with the Oilers and he made the move to Tennessee.

He made 14 straight Pro Bowls, seven first team all pros, a couple of second teams.

But then this is really what sticks out to me, Darren.

He made 14 straight all pros.

What year do you think he was in?

I'm sorry?

Fourteen straight Pro Bowls and seven straight all Pros.

What year do you think he was in when he made his first Pro Bowl?

Maybe year two.

Six.

Wow.

Okay.

So what that tells me is we did not know what we were doing back in the early 80s when it came to judging offensive linemen.

There's no way that he played six years in the NFL and then got really good.

He was probably doing that the entire time.

And at somebody.

At some point, somebody was like, you know what you remember?

Like the mid-80s, the Oilers were not good.

That was like kind of a Before Moon.

But.

But they had great offensive lines because the Munchak was on that line.

Yeah, they did, but they weren't good teams.

And that was so that was like.

That was after Earl Campbell and those teams and Pastorini and it was before Warren Moons.

They had like a little lull there at first.

Maybe people were just not paying attention.

I don't know.

But there's no chance that he was not all pro level prior to actually being recognized.

So in my opinion, this guy probably.

This guy played 19 years in the NFL.

He probably could have been Pro bowl all pro, you know, 17 times.

You know, whatever it was, you know, it was.

Yeah, we're talking about a monster, a stalwart.

It is hard, you know, because it's very difficult for you or I just to hear if you said, hey, compare Bruce Matthews to Randall McDaniel or another great offensive guard from the 50s.

What made him better?

You know, you know, we're not.

They didn't have next gen stats back then, you know.

Yeah, you don't have next gen.

So all you can kind of do is go off the hardware.

And also the fact that the dude played every game for 19 years.

Yeah.

And kept getting Recognized.

So you're like, all right, maybe you're the best.

And he's.

He's number one on my list for sure.

Yeah.

When you're having the impact of a car collision, you know, 50, 60 times a game, every single play, you know, and you're lasting that long, that's some durability and some Iron man spirit there.

So, yeah, definitely a great pick.

You know, great family line, too.

You know, Clay Matthews, Clay Matthews, juniors, they all come from that.

That line.

I believe Clay Matthews senior and Bruce Matthews are brothers.

Yeah, I believe so.

Yes.

Yeah.

Great.

Great football lineage.

Yeah, yeah, most definitely.

Well, we had, you know, some.

Definitely some hall of Famers you talked about.

You talked about Earl Acker and Keakley, who just made it this year.

Bruce Matthews.

1952, We had Hugh McElhaney, who just died a couple years ago.

Great San Francisco 49er halfback, played with them for many years.

Another great halfback with the Baltimore Colts.

So great players there.

Frank Tripucca.

You remember Kelly Tripucca.

By the way.

But we had a couple of interesting guys in the beginning of the draft.

1937.

Ed Jankowski, Green Bay packers hall of Famer, Green Bay packers hall of Fame.

Not in a pro football hall of Fame, but the Green Bay packers hall of Fame, playing for back in those eras.

And Andy Farkas was drafted the next year.

He has.

Was ranked.

I'm surprised you don't know this.

He is rated as one of the top 90 Washington Redskins on their seventh.

So, yep, pretty good player there as well.

I'm familiar with Farkas.

Not Scott Farkas, the bully from A Christmas Story.

Yeah, I was just gonna say that.

Maybe that's where they got the name, because.

Yeah, yellow.

I wonder if this had yellow eyes.

Yeah, until Ralphie had to beat him up.

Right.

But, yeah, so that's some.

Some great players there.

And we have a kind of an interesting draft fact of the day.

You talked about Bruce Matthews.

The Oilers traded down twice before picking Matthews in that draft.

First, they sent the number two selection to the Rams in exchange for the number three choice and a fourth round picks in 83 and 84.

The Rams then selected Eric Dickerson, who made the hall of Fame.

Houston dropped down again, sending number three choice to the Seahawks in exchange for the number nine pick.

And the Seahawks ended up taking running back Kurt Warner from Penn State, who is a great, not Kurt Warner, the quarterback with a K, this is Kurt with a C who ended up having some good years for the Seahawks.

So it was definitely was a great back for the Nittany Lions.

So just kind of an interesting thing that the Houston drafted back.

They guess they knew who they wanted and wanted Matthews and knew what a stud he was going to be and they said we can wait and we'll pick up some more draft capital by doing that too.

So it's either brilliance or really good luck.

Yeah, probably a little bit of both, but interesting story all the same.

So that takes us that and I think that sort of wraps up our number nine pick here.

We only have eight more to go ahead and you know, a week and a day and we're at draft day.

Yes, sir.

Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Darren.

Looking forward to it.

Okay, see you tomorrow for number seven.

Eight.

Number eight.

Number eight.

That's all the football history we have today, folks.

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